1. Field
The present invention relates to a boat having a remote control system for controlling a propulsion unit of the boat, and more particularly to a boat having a plurality of remote control units.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are known boats in which a boat propulsion unit such as an outboard motor as is arranged in the stern of the hull, a main remote control station is disposed at the center of the hull, and a sub remote control station is disposed above the main station. In such a boat, an operating lever for operating the outboard motor is provided in each of the remote control stations, so a single outboard motor or each of a plurality of the outboard motors can be operated with the lever of each of the stations.
When the operating levers and the outboard motors are mechanically coupled to each other such as by a wire or the like, operating the lever of one steering station causes the lever of the other station to move in the same way and to assume basically the same operating position. Thus, the operation states of a plurality of levers for operating the same outboard motor can be made the same at all times.
In a boat using a remote control unit adapted to transmit the operation amount of the lever as an operation signal to the control section of the outboard motor, however, since the remote control levers for operating the same outboard motor are not mechanically coupled, they can be operated independently from each other. As such, a situation can arise in which the operation amount of one remote control lever differs from the operation amount of the other remote control lever.
Upon switching the control station in this state, the operation signal inputted to the outboard motor can change abruptly, thus causing a corresponding abrupt change in operation of the outboard motor. Accordingly, proposals have been made for preventing the operation signal inputted to the outboard motor from changing abruptly at the time of switching the steering stations. Such an example is disclosed in Japanese Patent document JP-B-3019984.